Puppet Designer
Grace Needlman (they/them) is a Chicago-based puppet artist and facilitator. They create visuals and performing objects that inspire collective imagination and bring stories to life. Grace is co-director of the Chicago Puppet Lab, where they work to build equitable pathways for puppeteers in Chicago, and co-creator of the Puppet Wonder Wagon. Their puppets have appeared at Chicago Children’s Theatre, Rough House, Steppenwolf, Teatro Vista, The Metropolitan Opera, La Mama, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and more. Grace previously managed learning programs at Marwen and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago where they worked to put art-world resources in the hands of Chicago youth. Grace holds a BA in Art from Yale University and an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths University of London, and they are currently a student in the MFA Stage Design program at Northwestern University.
Bio as of 2025
